Download Aztec God Tonatiuh from the Codex Telleriano

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TOP TEN AZTEC GODS & GODDESSES
Aztecs had a complex and diversified pantheon (which means ensemble of gods). Scholars studying the Aztec
religion have identified no fewer than 200 gods and goddesses, divided into three groups. Each group supervises
one aspect of the universe: the heaven or the sky; the rain, fertility and agriculture; and, finally, the war and
sacrifice. Often the Aztec gods were based on those of older Mesoamerican religions or shared by other societies
of the day.
Aztec God Huitzilopochtli from the Codex Telleriano-Remensis. Codex Telleriano-Remensis
1. Huitzilopochtli
Huitzilopochtli (pronounced Weetz-ee-loh-POSHT-lee) was the patron god of the Aztecs. During the great
migration from their legendary home of Aztlan, Huitzilopochtli told the Aztecs where they should establish their
capital city of Tenochtitlan and urged them on their way. His name means “Hummingbird of the Left” and he was
the patron of war and sacrifice. His shrine, on top of the pyramid of the Templo Mayor in Tenochtitlan, was
decorated with skulls and painted red to represent blood.
Aztec God of Rain Tlaloc, from the .Rios Codex
2. Tlaloc
Tlaloc (pronounced Tlá-lock) was the rain god and one of the most ancient deities in all Mesoamerica. Tlaloc is
associated with fertility and agriculture, and his origins can be traced back to Teotihuacan, the Olmec and the
Maya civilizations. Tlaloc's main shrine was the second shrine after Huitzilopochtli's, located on top of the Templo
Mayor, the Great Temple of Tenochtitlan. His shrine was decorated with blue bands representing rain and water.
The Aztec believed that the cries and tears of newborn children were sacred to the god, and, therefore, many
ceremonies for Tlaloc involved the sacrifice of children. More »
Aztec God Tonatiuh from the Codex Telleriano-Remensis. Codex Telleriano-Remensis
3. Tonatiuh
Tonatiuh (pronounced Toh-nah-tee-uh) was the Aztec sun god. He was a nourishing god who provided warmth
and fertility to the people. In order to do so, he needed sacrificial blood. Tonatiuh was also the patron of
warriors. In Aztec mythology, Tonatiuh governed the era under which the Aztec believed to live, the era of the
Fifth Sun; and it is Tonatiuh's face in the center of the Aztec sun stone. More »
Tonatiuh (pronounced Toh-nah-tee-uh) had both a positive and negative aspect. As a benevolent god,
Tonatiuh provided humans and other living beings with warmth and fertility. In order to do so, however,
he needed sacrificial victims.
Tonatiuh was also the patron of warriors, especially of the important jaguar and eagle warrior orders,
among whose duties was to capture war victims to sacrifice in his honor.
Tonatiuh and the Legend of the Five Suns
Tonatiuh governed the era under which the Aztecs lived, the era of the Fifth Sun. According to Aztec
mythology, the world had passed through four ages, called Suns. The first era, or Sun, was governed by
the godTezcatlipoca, the second one by Quetzalcoatl, the third one by the rain god Tlaloc, and the forth
one by the goddess Chalchiuthlicue. The current era, or fifth sun, was governed by Tonatiuh. According
to the legend, during this age the world is characterized by maize eaters and it will violently come to an
end, through an earthquake.
Tonatiuh (pronounced Toh-nah-tee-uh) was the Aztec sun god. This deity had both a positive and
negative aspect. As a benevolent god, Tonatiuh provided humans and other living beings with warmth
and fertility. In order to do so, however, he needed sacrificial victims.
Tonatiuh was also the patron of warriors, especially of the important jaguar and eagle warrior orders,
among whose duties was to capture war victims to sacrifice in his honor.
Tonatiuh and the Legend of the Five Suns
Tonatiuh governed the era under which the Aztecs lived, the era of the Fifth Sun. According to Aztec
mythology, the world had passed through four ages, called Suns. The first era, or Sun, was governed by
the godTezcatlipoca, the second one by Quetzalcoatl, the third one by the rain god Tlaloc, and the forth
one by the goddess Chalchiuthlicue. The current era, or fifth sun, was governed by Tonatiuh. According
to the legend, during this age the world is characterized by maize eaters and it will violently come to an
end, through an earthquake.
The Aztec God Tezcatlipoca from the Borgia Codex. Borgia Codex
4. Tezcatlipoca
Tezcatlipoca (pronounced Tez-cah-tlee-poh-ka)'s name means “Smoking Mirror” and he is often represented as
an evil power, associated with death and cold. Tezcatlipoca was the patron of the night, of the north, and in many
aspects represented the opposite of his brother, Quetzalcoatl. His image has black stripes on his face and he
carries an obsidian mirror. More »
Aztec God Chalchiutlicue from the Rios Codex. Rios Codex
5. Chalchiuhtlicue
Chalchiuhtlicue (pronounced Tchal-chee-uh-tlee-ku-eh) was the goddess of running water and all aquatic
elements. Her name means “she of the Jade Skirt”. She was the wife and/or sister of Tlaloc and was also
patroness of childbirth. She is most often illustrated wearing a green/blue skirt from which flows a stream of
water. More »
Aztec God Centeotl from the Rios Codex. Rios Codex
6. Centeotl
Centeotl (pronounced Cen-teh-otl) was the god of maize, and as such he was based on a pan-Mesoamerican god
shared by Olmec and Maya religions. His name means “Maize cob Lord”. He was closely related to Tlaloc and is
usually represented as a young man with a maize cob sprouting from his headdress.More » Maize=corn.
Quetzalcoatl from the Codex Borbonicus. Codex Borbonicus
7. Quetzalcoatl
Quetzalcoatl (pronounced Keh-tzal-coh-atl), “the Feathered Serpent”, is probably the most famous Aztec deity and
is known in many other Mesoamerican cultures such as Teotihuacan and the Maya. He represented the positive
counterpart of Tezcatlipoca. He was the patron of knowledge and learning and also a creative god.
Quetzalcoatl is also linked to the idea that the last Aztec emperor, Moctezuma, believed that the arrival of the
Spanish conquistador Cortes was the fulfilling of a prophecy about the return of the god. However, many
scholars now consider this myth as a creation of the Franciscan friars during the post-Conquest period. More »
Xipe Totec, Based on the Borgia Codex.katepanomegas
8. Xipe Totec
Xipe Totec (pronounced Shee-peh Toh-tek) is “Our Lord with the flayed skin”. Xipe Totec was the god of
agricultural fertility, the east and the goldsmiths. He is usually portrayed wearing a flayed human skin
representing the death of the old and the growth of the new vegetation.More »
Aztec Goddess Mayahuel, from the Rios Codex.Rios Codex
9. Mayahuel, The Aztec Goddess of Maguey
Mayahuel (pronounced My-ya-whale) is the Aztec goddess of the maguey plant, the sweet sap of which,
aguamiel, was considered her blood. Mayahuel is also known as "the woman of the 400 breasts" to feed her
children, the Centzon Totochtin or “400 rabbits”. More »
Monolithic Statue of Tlaltecuhtli from the Aztec Templo Mayor, Mexico City. Tristan Higbee
10. Tlaltecuhtli, Aztec Earth Goddess
Tlaltechutli (Tlal-teh-koo-tlee) is the monstrous earth goddess. Her name means "The one who gives and devours
life" and she required many human sacrifices to sustain her. Tlaltechutli represents the surface of the earth, who
angrily devours the sun every evening to give it back the next day. More »
Coyolxauhqui
Coyolxauhqui was the Moon goddess according the Aztec mythology. Her name means "Golden Bells." She was the
daughter of the Earth goddess, Coatlicue and the sister of the Sun god, Huitzilopochtli.
Coyolxauhqui encouraged her four hundred sisters and brothers to kill their dishonored mother. Coatlicue gave
birth toHuitzilopochtli after a ball of feathers fell into the temple where she was sweeping and touched her.
Huitzilopochtli sprang out of his mother as an adult fully armed and saver her.
Coatlicue regretted such violence. Thus, Huitzilopochtli cut off Coyolxauhqui's head and threw it into the sky to
form the Moon.
Xochiquetzal in Codex Borgia.
In Aztec mythology, Xochiquetzal (Classical Nahuatl: Xōchiquetzal [ʃoːtʃiˈketsaɬ]), also
called Ichpochtli Classical Nahuatl: Ichpōchtli [itʃˈpoːtʃtɬi], meaning "maiden",[1] was a goddess associated with
concepts of fertility, beauty, and female sexual power, serving as a protector of young mothers and a
patroness of pregnancy, childbirth, and the crafts practised by women such as weaving and embroidery. In
pre-Hispanic Maya culture, a similar figure is Goddess I.